A field experiment was carried out during spring-summer of 2006 and 2007 at Indian Institute of Vegetable Research, Varanasi. The treatments comprised 4 levels of surface irrigation (4, 7, 10 and 12 days intervals) and 2 level of mulch (pea straw mulch at 12.5 tonnes/ha and 'no mulch'). Significant differences on morpho-physiological and yield attributes were observed in various irrigation treatments and organic mulches. Irrigation scheduled at 4-day interval exhibited maximum fresh pod yield of okra (15.03 tonnes/ha) with higher leaf water potential, (0.91 MPa), relative water content in leaves (83%), photosynthetic rate (14.10 µmole CO2/m2/s1) and stomatal conductance (351.9 mmol H2O/m2/s1). Higher chlorophyll concentration index was recorded in 4 or 7-day irrigation intervals. Pea-straw mulch significantly enhanced the plant height, number of nodes/plant, number of pods/plant, pod weight and fresh pod yield over non-mulched. Significant improvement was observed in plant physiological parameters and soil water content under pea straw mulch. Irrigation at 10-day interval along with pea-straw mulch exhibited maximum water-use efficiency (455.72 kg/ha-cm). Significant reduction in weed population (65.4%) and considerable water savings (29.6%) was recorded with use of pea-straw mulch over no mulch.

chlorophyll, crop residues, crop yield, cultural control,irrigation scheduling, irrigation water, leaf conductance, leaf waterpotential, leaves, mulches, mulching, okras, peas, photosynthesis, plantheight, plant water relations, pods, soil water content, stomata,surface irrigation, water content, water use efficiency, weed control,weeds, yield components, India, Uttar Pradesh, Abelmoschus esculentus,Pisum sativum, Abelmoschus, Malvaceae, Malvales, dicotyledons,angiosperms, Spermatophyta, plants, eukaryotes, South Asia, Asia,Developing Countries, Commonwealth of Nations, Pisum, Papilionoideae,Fabaceae, Fabales, India, carbon assimilation, carbon dioxide fixation,mulching materials, pea, Agricultural Economics (EE110), NaturalResource Economics (EE115) (New March 2000), Input Utilization(Microeconomics) (EE145), Horticultural Crops (FF003) (New March 2000),Plant Physiology and Biochemistry (FF060), Plant Water Relations(FF062), Plant Production (FF100), Weeds and Noxious P

• Journal Article

• Cropping Systems
• Irrigation Management